Of Myss Keta we know almost nothing. Neither name at the registry office, nor age, nor features. A couple of photos of her face are circulating online, but they have always remained “unconfirmed”. And in her songs she is always very careful not to disseminate too many clues. Why, nine years ago, she wore one mask and has no intention of taking it off yet. When we all started wearing a mask – we know the reason – she also came across the New York Times who called it “Italy’s rap diva”. But she, even to the American newspaper, reiterated the usual version of her: “I hide my face to be freer.”
In the past two and a half years (after the success of Milan, sushi & coca, Pazzeska, The Girls of Porta Venezia “), Myss Keta released a single, went on tour with a band. But above all, “I holed up in my den to try to get out of it in the best possible way.” Waiting for the return of her local loved ones. And not only.
Now, the new record is exactly the way you envisioned leaving that den. Club Topperia it is a journey (in 16 tracks) into the world of the night, of clubs, of fun. A imaginary nightclub in which musical genres are mixed, very different guests (from the soubrette Francesca Cipriani to the performer Silvia Calderoni, from the rapper Dargen D’Amico to the pornstar Malena, from the singer Noemi to the dark writer Isabella Santacroce), real and invented languages, tastes, personal and spiritual ages . To go back to dancing «without prejudice and with an open heart».
How much did you miss dancing?
“Very, very much. For Myss, nightlife is vital. Depriving oneself of that sociality was difficult and complicated. I wrote this album to give vent to those shortcomings. There are all my mental escapes in there. “
Where did she want to flee?
«My escapes have been above all towards emotions and situations to rethink about. Towards evenings in which I participated, but also towards worlds like that of Studio 54, Cocoricò, Plastic. Escape to those moments when during a concert you feel a particular type of connection with the audience. For me, nightlife has always been fundamental as if it were a ritual, primitive and collective moment. At night it is as if we all feel more in tune, we let ourselves go and move on instinct ».
Which nights do you remember most?
“My nightlife has always been very busy. I went to the piano bars, waiting at dawn in a club or on a beach. People of the night are my favorite. I like living at night for this: you know people for who they really are. At night you can’t pretend, people are without their armor, no one would ever ask you first “what do you do?” Many friendships of mine began at night. At night my attitude takes over, that is, wanting to show myself with an open heart, being willing to play, to win or lose everything. I could also venture into unknown territories, at night we are all a little more courageous ».
Who does enter his club, in the Club Topperia?
“Those who respect others are admitted, those who have an open heart, and those who make inclusion and respect for others a founding pillar of their being. All the others, however, remain outside. It is an exclusive club, unfortunately. It would be nice to live in a world where such a club could be larger. But to ensure that it remains a safe haven, for those who want to be themselves, access must still be limited. And therefore throw out those who do not respect others, those who are not inclusive and those who want to throw discord ”.
When did you learn to be yourself?
«You learn all difficult things when you suffer. It happens that sooner or later you burst and suffer to repress yourself, I learned it at that moment there. Today I know that suffering to hide myself, to respect the rules of society, is absolutely not worth it. You can free yourself when you understand that you can express yourself however you want, that you can be whoever you want, that you can truly dictate the tempo of your life. It is a very simple phrase to say “I feel free”, but you have to have the courage to really be, and this is very complicated. It takes strength and courage, especially when society doesn’t support you. I think of adolescents who often do not have the courage to be themselves and to go against certain prejudices, but the important thing is to be able to do it for the first time. Afterwards, you are so light that you understand that you cannot do it in any other way ».
The first time she felt free?
«For me, being Myss Keta is freedom, so the first time in 2013 I went on stage, that of the Glitter in Milan, in her shoes. Mask and sunglasses are part of her, they are her face. I’ve always lived it this way and I will always live it like this. I chose the mask to tell the truth. Every gesture you make is political, and I have always been committed against all forms of discrimination. My mask does not hide, but amplifies ».
What did you feel when, due to the pandemic, the mask saw you on the faces of others?
“I experienced it as an exponential increase in the number of my fans (laughsed) “.
Weren’t you afraid that yours might lose value?
“Absolutely no. Mine has another meaning. They are two completely different things ».
How he chose the many collaborations for Club Topperia?
«I’m a person who really likes learning from others, I let myself be guided by other people to go to other territories that I might not have had the ability to explore by myself. So I invited all these artists partly because I liked them to show me their world, and partly because I wanted to contaminate mine with theirs. Obviously they all meet the criteria for joining the club, indeed they have won the membership card “.
With Malena in Scandalous sings “The scandal is in the eye of the beholder / and I’m looking at you.”
«In the song I take possession of the gaze, Malena and I become the directors of the scandal itself. I met her last summer, we got in tune right away. She liked the fact that on stage I showed myself completely free, to me that she had never bothered with judgments. To have fun, the idea that we are both considered extreme provocateurs when we are simply ourselves doing what we do “.
What amuses you the most about provoking?
“Basically for me it’s something instinctive, it comes naturally to me to do certain things and say certain things. For me, provoking is anything that does not comply with certain rules, that which aims to provoke reactions ».
He has just conducted the Diversity Media Awards, the awards dedicated to the value of inclusion. Where are we today?
“We are far from an inclusive world, but everyone must carry on what they believe in, I think they do. And then it is necessary to continue to fight, you can never rest on our laurels in this sense. We must ensure that more and more rights are guaranteed for all. Fighting for minorities, for the LGBTQ + community, for women. Fight ten to get one ».
What do you think of what happened to Blanco recently, harassed by a fan while she was singing her song?
“I don’t want to see images of this type anymore. I find it horrible that a person doing their job, on stage, can be harassed, it’s brutal. I hope that all that has rightly been raised will obliterate any future will of this kind. I am very sorry for Blanco and I would never want to find myself in a similar situation ».
The guys on TikTok denounced the bad act. How does this new generation seem to you?
«I think today’s kids are much more elastic, soft and fluid from many points of view. I believe that they accept diversity much more, that they are more inclusive than past generations. It is important, however, that they do not take things for granted that are not yet. They take it for granted, for example, that people can decide to change their sex if they consider themselves transgender; that anyone can feel affection for any other type of person, regardless of whether she is a woman, a man, or a non-binary. But for all this, unfortunately, we still have to keep fighting. If we learned a little more from them instead of always pointing at them with our finger, we would be much further along ».
What generation, on the other hand, is yours?
“Without a doubt that of the Milan to drink”.
In his bio he narrates frequentations with Gianni Agnelli and Salvator Dalì. Do you have any new chapters to add?
“I would say that after all the cameos of the Club Topperia I’ve filled in quite a few lines ».
What did you learn from them?
«You learn from every encounter. Being contaminated and being listened to are the only ways to assimilate new lessons. And I have learned even more this, the importance of human relationships and sharing ».
Who are the today Girls of Porta Venezia?
«That song was born in 2015, then it evolved thanks to the contribution of other colleagues, but the manifesto is always the same. Girls are light-hearted and free people, eager to take life, to have fun, to discover new things.
Is Myss Keta always one of the girls?
“Yes it grows and changes, but thank goodness the core always remains the same. I will always be a girl from Porta Venezia ».
What is your relationship with love?
“I’m a modern Aphrodite, so I have a great relationship with love. From the most sensual to the one you feel for friends, love is always love ».
Club Topperia will be on tour from June 4th throughout the summer. What has he prepared?
“Luckily it’s a mental place and not a physical place, so we won’t have to drive around with 50 trucks. I’ll be there with two dancers, and lots of surprises. It will be a very intense show from a musical point of view. We dance, and we dance a lot ».
What will he say first on stage?
«Welcome to the Club Topperia and now, finally, open your hearts ».
Source: Vanity Fair
